Gender and Age Differences in the Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Perceived Weight: Exploring the Paradox

Abstract

Past research has shown a gender-based paradox in the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and perceived weight. That is, even though males are more likely than females to be overweight, between 28% and 68% of normalweight boys and young men perceive themselves to be underweight, while 30-67% of normal weight adolescent girls and young women perceive themselves to be overweight. It also has been suggested that these weight misperceptions may be stable in adult women, but may fluctuate in men, as they get older. The present study explored this possibility using a randomly selected subsample from the 1996-97 Canadian National Population Health Survey. Gender differences in perceived weight were examined separately for 3,000 men and 3,000 women between 20 and 64 years of age whose BMI classed them as either normal weight or overweight. Findings showed that, across age groups, an average of 43% of overweight men felt they were of normal weight, while, on average, 29% of normal weight women felt they were overweight. Implications for the study of men’s and women’s body image are discussed.